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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203801">This Storm Shall Pass</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_aussie_girl/pseuds/lil_aussie_girl'>lil_aussie_girl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Astraphobia, Cap has one fear, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers is afraid of storms, Steve and Tony friendship - Freeform, Supportive!Team, Team as Family, and Tony is there to give him one, and he doesn't want anyone to know it, supportive!Tony</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:01:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_aussie_girl/pseuds/lil_aussie_girl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain America isn’t afraid of anything – he just isn’t. But that doesn’t mean Steve Rogers isn’t afraid of anything. It’s embarrassing to admit it, which is why he tries to keep his one irrational fear to himself, until one nosy genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist accidentally finds out what it is. </p><p>The truth is, thunderstorms scare the crap out of him.</p><p>Alternate summary: basically, five times Tony comforted Steve during a storm, and the one time the whole team did.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Discovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Chapter Summary - There's lots of things Tony doesn't know about Captain America, but he's pretty sure this takes the cake....</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Damn it, DUM-E, the eight-mill is the one on the left! That’s a flathead! No, not that one; THAT one!”</p><p>Anyone walking past the private lab of one Tony Stark that late April afternoon would have heard that exclamation echoing through the heavy sliding doors, immediately followed by a sound of an exasperated curse and the whirr of an apologetic robot. The workers who happened to be wandering along the corridor outside simply shook their heads in amusement and carried on their conversations – completely used to their boss’ eccentricity by now.</p><p>Inside the lab, Tony gave the – now rather downcast – robot a rub of its claw, and smiled to himself as it replied with a contented hum.</p><p>“Yeah, okay. I’m sorry too, alright? Just don’t tell the others I’m going soft in my old age, alright?” </p><p>DUM-E gave a rumble that could almost have been a laugh if it was human, and it scuttled away to grab another piece of metal to hand to its master.</p><p>U came over to him next, accidentally poking his back with a spanner. </p><p>Tony was just about to turn and take it from the other robot when a flash of lightning cut across the sky. A deep rumble of thunder – not too dissimilar to the rumble of Thor’s stomach after a long mission – cut through the otherwise quiet outside world.</p><p>Things had been relatively calm in the city of New York lately, so Tony had sent the Avengers off on what he called “an all-expenses paid gallivant to whichever far flung places your tired and crusty hearts’ desire” (but what the rest of the team called “a holiday”). Nat had said she had business in Tennessee with what was left of SHIELD, Clint was visiting his family on the farm, Bruce was at a conference in Beijing with Dr Cho, Thor was off-world (not responsible for the light show, then, Tony quickly surmised), and Steve-</p><p>As the thought of the captain crossed his mind, Tony had to admit he didn’t know what Steve had planned for the time off he’d given (and fought Fury for, but he’d kept that bit to himself). Shrugging the thought away almost as quickly as it had come, the engineer promptly returned to his work – ignoring the building darkness outside as the storm rolled closer to the city.</p><p>He managed to work in silence for nearly ten minutes before he heard the deep, familiar tones of JARVIS vibrating the ceiling around him.</p><p>“Sir, I feel I should remind you of Ms Potts’ instructions to eat a full meal at this time, and if you do not do so, I am instructed to cut all power to the laboratory until you comply.”</p><p>Tony was only slightly surprised at that, though it did bring a small smile to his face – only Pepper, he mused.</p><p>But he was so close-</p><p>“Sir” JARVIS spoke again, and if an AI could sound insistent and exasperated, then this one definitely did.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get your circuits in a twist J,” Tony grumbled, but his stomach chose that moment to growl almost as loud as the thunder outside.</p><p>“While I do understand the reference, sir” JARVIS began, and now Tony was sure the AI would be rolling its eyes, “My circuits cannot possibly become twisted – you constantly remind everyone of your genius in designing and building me, so if they were to become entangled with themselves then that would reflect badly upon your genius, am I correct sir?”</p><p>Tony just blinked incredulously up at the ceiling.</p><p>“J, I swear I did not program you to have more snark than me.”</p><p>“Impossible to fulfil that position, sir” the AI replied, before adding with another imaginary smirk “This does not distract me from my orders from Ms Potts, you know.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t dream of trying, J” Tony chuckled, and finally packed up his work station.</p><p>Checking his watch on the way out, he was surprised to see that it was only 6pm. Still, he was hungry, and if he wanted to be allowed back into the lab later (he knew JARVIS wouldn’t hesitate to lock him out of his own lab if the AI felt Tony wasn’t in shape to be using it – thanks Pep, Tony grumbled to himself), he knew he needed to eat something.</p><p>He stepped out of the lift into the common kitchen and living area that the team shared when they stayed at the Tower. The familiar couches and beanbags sprawled across the carpet around the big flatscreen looked lonely without the presence of Thor or Clint lounging on them passing jibes back and forth. The stove was empty and Tony felt he missed the sight of Bruce or Steve whipping up something delicious that made the entire team’s tastebuds party long after the last of the meal had been swallowed. Nat normally found herself on the beanbags with a novel or a magazine (which she always tried to hide if someone else was in the room), occasionally joining in with Thor and Clint’s banter.</p><p>A flash of lightning outside lit up the room and the shadows danced eerily in the brief flash, and Tony became even more aware of just how empty the space was.</p><p>Or…. perhaps not quite as empty as he’d first thought, as he saw the shadowy outline of someone sitting curled between the bookcase and the games cabinet. A large frame that normally stood tall and proud, commanding respect and silence from any room they walked into, now sat violently trembling and strangely tucked into a small ball – muscled arms curled around knees bent close to a broad chest, blonde hair hanging limp in front of a startlingly young face, eyes that were normally a bright intelligent blue squeezed tight as if in excruciating pain.</p><p>They obviously didn’t notice that Tony was there, for they didn’t hold back a hard flinch and a muffled yelp as another flash of lightning bathed everything in bright white light, a crash of thunder following only milliseconds later.</p><p>The noise also startled Tony out of his brief shock and he began to cautiously approach the figure now hidden once again by the shadows.</p><p>“Cap?” he asked hesitantly, trying to keep his voice gentle and low. Clearing his throat as it was obvious the younger man hadn’t heard him, he tried again. “Cap? You okay?”</p><p>Steve’s head snapped up, eyes flying open and staring wildly at Tony for a brief second. He could almost see the shutter fall back across his face when he realised who was standing in front of him, and the super solider tried to get to his feet.</p><p>“Oh, sorry” the man’s voice almost sounded croaky – and Tony suspected he knew the reason when he saw the tiniest of redness in the whites of his eyes. “Just dropped something behind the TV, I’ll go and- “</p><p>“Uh, uh; don’t you try and play that game with me, Spangles” Tony cut him off, voice returning to its normal tone as he grabbed Steve’s upper arm and frowned up at his pale face. What did the kid think he was playing at? Tony had seen him, and damn it if it hadn’t made him just a little bit worried.</p><p>“Tony, it’s nothing, please” Steve’s assurance was rather ruined by the jerking flinch he made and the way his eyes flickered with fear as another crack of thunder hit – this one even closer than before.</p><p>Tony decided it was time to put his foot down – figuratively of course, although if Cap didn’t start to cooperate soon….</p><p>“Cap, something’s obviously wrong – you’re never even bothered by giant monsters or homicidal gods or even those fucking Doom Bots; and now you’re here and shaking like a leaf and acting like actual Hell is flashing outside. What’s going on?”</p><p>Before Tony could backtrack and make that come out a bit more sympathetically, Steve had pulled his arm free from the billionaire’s grip and sprinted away – but not before Tony had seen the flash of panic in his eyes.</p><p>“Shit” he growled, and took off after him.</p><p>Surprisingly, Steve hadn’t run far – in fact, only to his room down the hall. The door was unlocked and slightly ajar, and Tony gently pushed it open, cautiously calling his teammate’s name as he entered.</p><p>The light surrounding the ensuite door and the faint sound of retching answered his question for him, and he sighed quietly. Walking over to the door, he knocked gently and pushed it open. The sight of Captain America hunched near the bowl of the toilet, gasping and breaths hitching with either fear or tears was one he surely wasn’t going to forget anytime soon.</p><p>He knelt down beside the younger man and put a hesitant hand on his shoulder, biting his lip when he felt it shaking under his touch.</p><p>“T-Tony, pl-please.”</p><p>The man in question couldn’t help but roll his eyes exasperatedly at that, but he let his hand continue to gently squeeze the trembling shoulder.</p><p>“Save it, Capsicle” he grumbled gently, other hand reaching up to flush the toilet. “You think you’re done?”</p><p>At Steve’s shaky nod, Tony sat down against the bath and pulled the younger man into his side – worry increasing slightly when he heard no protest.</p><p>“You wanna try again and tell me what’s going on?” he asked quietly, shifting so that he could rub a hand up and down he friend’s back. “Or am I gonna have to turn this into a game of 20 questions? Cause I dunno about you, but I’m not feeling in a gaming mood right now.”</p><p>He felt slightly pleased when that got a choked laugh out of the super soldier, though it was quickly quashed by the sudden yelp and full-body flinch as another crack of thunder sounded overhead.</p><p>“It’s stupid” Steve mumbled, seemingly talking more to his lap than to Tony. “I’m not supposed to be scared of anything, I’m Captain America for goodness sake.”</p><p>Another crash of thunder startled another flinch from him and he unconsciously pushed himself closer to Tony.</p><p>“Scared of wha- oh”. Tony felt slightly thick for not having put it together sooner. Now he looked back at certain memories with this newfound clarity, it should have been obvious. The way that Cap had always disappeared in the past whenever storms had hit the city; or how he would tense up watching footage of storms in a movie or on the news; how he would always flinch and let his eyes close for a few seconds whenever Thor arrived with his usual Grande furore that accompanied his visits, his hands briefly clenching into fists.</p><p>He’d thought at the time it was the noise of the thunder that had reminded the soldier of the war, but now he suspected it ran much deeper than that.</p><p>“How long?” he wondered quietly, shifting so that he could hold his friend more comfortably.</p><p>Steve was quiet for a moment, still trembling in Tony’s arms. The thunder outside was now almost constant, and every so often a particularly loud bang would make the larger man’s whole frame jerk.</p><p>“Since I was a kid” was the eventual reply, and Tony felt something give inside his gut as he saw a few tears fall onto his lap. “It got worse after my mam died, I was alone and half the time I ended up on the streets. Only Bucky knew about it, but I didn’t even tell him most times. He had enough to worry about without me.”</p><p>Tony was suddenly hit with an image of a tiny, dirty, blonde-haired kid, hiding and shivering under a trashcan lid as a wild storm raged around him. He saw blue eyes clouded with terror and tears, and heard a silent scream as a flash of lightning cut across the sky above them. As the older version in the present continued to tremble and occasionally sniffle, he felt a new surge of protectiveness towards the younger man in his arms.</p><p>That surge became even stronger when the loudest crash of thunder yet sounded over their heads, and he felt his shirt begin to bunch in two strong fists, and felt a wet pressure in the crook of his neck.</p><p>When he felt the tears on his shoulder and heard the muffled whimpers trying to burst from Cap’s throat, he froze. This was way out of his comfort zone, he didn’t do emotions, or comfort for that matter. He had no idea what he was supposed to do to help his teammate when he was obviously scared and upset. It was even more disorientating when he had never, ever seen Cap like this – and it worried and even frightened him a little.</p><p>But, for some reason, Steve had decided to trust him now, and Tony felt like he owed it to his friend to show that his trust was (at least somewhat) well-placed.</p><p>The frightened scream that echoed in his ears as another flash of lightning and crack of thunder sent everything around them into darkness certainly helped make his mind up too.</p><p>“Shush, easy Cap, I’ve got you, it’s okay. It’s just a storm, it’ll pass soon” Tony felt slightly ridiculous as the words came out of him, his left hand continuing to rub the vibrating shoulders under his touch. </p><p>More hot tears leaked into his collar, and Tony shifted his other hand from Steve’s arm to run his fingers through the blonde hair under his cheek. Loud rain was beginning to pelt the tower from all sides, though it didn’t muffle the thunder – or the whimpers and screams muffled into his neck for that matter.</p><p>The noises broke Tony’s heart, and he felt his left arm tightening just a little more around Cap’s shoulders. </p><p>“It’s okay, it’ll be over soon. You’re safe here, Cap – I’ve got you.”</p><p>Neither of them could have said for sure how long the storm lasted, but it felt like hours before the thunder became almost silent and the lightning disappeared back into the clouds. Only the rain remained, but it was now gentle and reassuring rather than the violent thrashing it had been before.</p><p>And throughout it all, Tony continued his quiet and surprisingly gentle reassurances and kept his friend safely cocooned in his arms.</p><p>It felt like an eternity before he heard a scratchy and hoarse voice pipe up from his shoulder.</p><p>“I’ve gotten your shirt all wet.”</p><p>And Tony laughed – it was such a Cap thing to say, after all. He gently ruffled the other man’s hair and stood (ignoring the cracking of his back as he did so). Holding out a hand, he raised a dark eyebrow and glanced down pointedly.</p><p>With a shy and very un-Cap-like smile, Steve took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Expecting to be let go with a pat on the shoulder and for the billionaire to walk out now that the danger seemed passed, he was surprised when Tony instead pulled him into a tight hug.</p><p>“Tony?” he questioned, though he let his own arms come up to reciprocate.</p><p>“It’s not silly, Steve” Tony replied gently, tightening his arms before pulling back – leaving his hands resting comfortingly on Steve’s shoulders. “It really isn’t – just because you’re Captain America doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to be scared. You’re still human under that suit, remember that.”</p><p>Dropping his gaze as an embarrassed flush coloured his cheeks, Steve bit his lip as the lump in his throat returned.</p><p>Tony saw the glisten return to his eyes, and gently tilted his jaw up to meet his gaze again. He smiled fondly and understandingly when he saw his friend try to blink the tears away.</p><p>“And if it gets too much, or if you just need some company during a storm, come find me. I don’t want you to think you’re alone anymore, okay Capsicle?”</p><p>The nickname, which normally would’ve made Steve roll his eyes or even groan, actually made him chuckle wetly and smile back at Tony. Pleased with himself, Tony pulled him back in for another hug, before releasing him and calling out to JARVIS to order pizza to the common area – and yelling back at Steve to que up Indiana Jones on the television, knowing that his friend still hadn’t seen it yet (and feeling like this was an atrocity to all of mankind – a point which he regularly pointed out to them all).</p><p>Steve just smiled and followed close behind – perhaps having someone know about his fear wasn’t so bad after all.</p><p>*****</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Febrile</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Combining a sick and delirious super soldier with the biggest storm of the year? Urgh, Tony’s in for a rough morning.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wind howled outside the darkened windows with all the ferocity of a raging dinosaur, rain lashing at the glass – the droplets like icicles (not that any of the occupants inside felt that). The normally bustling city hundreds of feet below was now like a ghost town – only the brave New York cabbies were out in the steadily maddening weather, like big yellow birds hunting and circling their prey as they searched for a fare.</p><p>Inside the Tower, Tony was aware of the rain – he knew the storm was coming, the weather gurus had called it “the biggest storm this year”, and had warned everyone to make sure their properties and belongings were secured, that they had enough food and water for several days and to be prepared for prolonged power outages.</p><p>Tony knew he didn’t have to worry about that last part; JARVIS was programmed to run the Tower on the reserve energy stored in generators in the basement levels far below. If that failed, then he and Pepper had plenty of backup lights and generators on each floor. They also had enough food to feed two dozen armies of starving gorillas, so they were also set in that department.</p><p>What he was worried about, however, was currently tossing and turning beside him – face pale with flushed cheeks, sweat dripping from an overheated forehead onto lank and soaked blonde hair, incoherent mutterings and occasional whimpers slipping past an otherwise worryingly slack jaw.</p><p>“Can’t get sick, my ass” Tony grumbled, dipping the washcloth into the bowl of cool water beside him for what felt like the dozenth time that minute. “You wear yourself down enough, you get fucking sick – no different from anyone else there, Spangles.”</p><p>Deep as he currently was in the throes of a high fever, Steve didn’t reply.</p><p>Tony sighed and used the washcloth to wipe away some of the sweat and let the dampness try to cool the heat of the Captain’s skin. An appreciative moan escaped dry and cracked lips as Steve turned his head towards the coolness, looking more and more like a kid than the billionaire had ever seen him.</p><p>He’d noticed Cap acting off the day before yesterday. The week prior, the whole team had been up to their necks in clean-up after a particularly nasty mission in Kansas. Steve – being the righteous, patriotic pain-in-Tony’s-ass that he was – had stayed behind to help with the clean-up and field the majority of the press dealings. It’d taken a long time to sort everything out and he secretly knew that his friend hadn’t allowed himself time to slow down – let alone stop and get some actual rest. Ergo, by the time he returned, he was exhausted.</p><p>He’d gotten back two days ago, and Tony had suspected something was off when Cap had stopped after a single slice of pizza at the team dinner that night. Cap – of course – had brushed it off as being tired, and then Tony had known something was wrong; Steve never admitted he was tired, ever.</p><p>Tony had known for sure when he had not been the last one up yesterday morning for brunch on the balcony with the rest of the team. Normally, Cap was one of the first ones up – usually off for a run before the sun even rose – but today, he was nowhere to be seen. His (and the rest of the team’s) growing concern had led them to Steve’s room, where they had found him shivering under what appeared to be every blanket in the whole Tower, skin hotter than the pavement in summer, and almost paler than the off-white sheets he was laying on.</p><p>The illness had progressed since then – Steve going from barely coherent yesterday morning to delirious by midnight. Bruce had assured Tony that it seemed to be a strong strain of the flu, made more severe by Steve’s serious exhaustion. He’d told Tony to try and keep the fever down, and to get him to drink plenty of fluids while he was still able to comprehend instructions, and above all to rest.</p><p>That had all seemed easy enough, and then the storm warning had come through.</p><p>It had been nearly a month since Tony had discovered Steve’s fear of storms, and he was grateful (for both their sakes) that there hadn’t been any since then. Although he acknowledged that the incident had made them closer and it was obvious that Steve trusted him a bit more than before, Tony hadn’t wished for a repeat. The fear in his friend’s face and the sounds of his screams weren’t something he wanted to experience again anytime soon.</p><p>Karma really was a bitch, it seemed, as a distant rumble of thunder reached his ears.</p><p>“Shit” he whispered, turning the damp cloth over and hearing Steve’s voice in his head giving a chastising “Language!” in response.<br/>

*****<br/>
The sun was trying its best to peek through the dense, dark clouds overhead, but only the smallest of miserable rays managed to get through – turning the blackened sky to the deep purple of a fresh bruise as dawn tried to make itself known. The wind howled with new intensity; the noise only bested by the sound of thunder rapidly closing in.</p><p>A particularly loud crash overhead made Tony jump in surprise – he’d been half dozing in his chair as it seemed that Steve had finally been able to sleep (at least somewhat) restfully. Blinking the fogginess out of his eyes, his eyes were drawn to the bed at the sound of a strangled gasp.</p><p>Brown eyes met fever-glazed blue and in the dawning light Tony almost swore he saw flashes of memory over the fogged irises. It was gone in an instant, but the confusion and almost childlike fear that replaced it as another crack of thunder let loose above them was arguably more worrying.</p><p>“Pa?”</p><p>Tony froze at the croaky, confused, unbelievably young voice that slipped through a freshly cracked lip, and he focussed almost automatically on cleaning away the sluggish drip of blood with the washcloth.</p><p>“Sh, easy soldier” he tried to soothe, worry coiling in his gut as he gently wiped the blood from the younger man’s chin. “It’s me, Tony; you’re okay Cap, it’s okay – just rest.”</p><p>He wasn’t ready for the surprisingly strong shove that pushed him away and back against the chair. His balance not being perfect – he blamed it on surprise and having just woken up himself – he slipped out of the chair and onto the floor. Managing to catch himself on the edge of the bed, Tony glanced up at the sick man beside him, and was shocked to see him sitting upright and shaking all over – but the defiance and almost fury in his eyes was startlingly clear.</p><p>“You’re not my pa” Steve growled, though Tony could hear the fear behind the tone. It was clear his friend wasn’t completely with him – delirious, his brain helpfully supplied – so he stood and backed away a few steps, hands held up in the universal surrendering gesture.</p><p>“Where. Is. My. Dad?”</p><p>And damn if that one question didn’t make Tony’s heart clench and break and shatter into a million pieces. He knew he couldn’t lie – Cap would most likely never forgive him when he was lucid again – and he didn’t want to upset his friend by telling him the truth (although, he figured Steve was too delirious to understand the truth of being frozen for seventy years and that it was now 2013 anyway, so…)</p><p>He decided on a half-truth – best of both worlds, right?</p><p>“I’m not your pa, Steve” he began slowly, sitting down on the edge of the bed again but keeping his eyes locked on the other man’s face. “But I want to help you – you’re sick, your fever is really high right now, and I know nothing makes any sense to you. I promise, you’re okay; I just want to help you.”</p><p>Something flickered in Steve’s glazed expression, and he almost looked like he wanted to believe Tony, but then a crack of thunder right outside the Tower startled the two of them. The flash of lightning that followed almost immediately illuminated the shadows and the sweat on Cap’s face, and also the terror in his eyes as more thunder – even louder, if that was possible – sent him falling back onto the pillows and under the blankets with a yelp. Within seconds, all Tony could see was some spikes of sweaty blonde hair sticking up from under the duvet.</p><p>Blinking a few times to attempt to reconcile the sudden change, Tony shuffled further up towards the head of the bed and reached out a hesitant hand towards the violently trembling mass of blankets.</p><p>“G’way” the voice was croaky and muffled against the blankets, but the form it belonged to did nothing to attempt to shift Tony’s hand from where it found itself on what he guessed was Steve’s shoulder. He could’ve sworn he heard a few lonely sniffles before he heard a tiny voice, “I wan’ my pa.” Good Lord, he sounded so miserable. And young.</p><p>Tony felt his eyes sting a bit at that, but he bit his lip to control the sudden emotion as more thunder brought out a muffled scream from under the blankets as the figure underneath attempted to curl itself into as tight a ball as possible. Nearly the whole bed was vibrating with the force of his sick friend’s tremors, and now it was clear they weren’t all from the fever.</p><p>The rain started up again outside, and the lightning flickered around the darkened room as more thunder followed almost immediately after each flash of light. Each crash made the over-warm body under his hand flinch, and somehow Tony was able to hear the frightened whimpers and squeaks of terror over the noise outside.</p><p>Delirium be damned, he decided, as he reached down and pulled his sick friend into his arms.</p><p>Still not clearly with it, Steve struggled weakly in his hold, but Tony refused to let go – instead guiding the warm and damp head onto his shoulder, quietly hushing him as he did so.</p><p>“Shush, it’s okay kid – you’re safe, I’ve got you. Easy, easy now.”</p><p>Tony kept up the (hopefully) reassuring manta as Steve slowly relaxed into his hold. He was still trembling – enough to make them both shake – and his fingers were fisted in the back of the billionaire’s shirt, but he made no further move to escape the hug.</p><p>“Pa, please…. please make it go away” Steve pleaded, and Tony felt the moisture on his shoulder that he was pretty sure wasn’t sweat anymore. “’M scared, Pa.”</p><p>Tony was about to reassure him but another crash of thunder broke over their heads, and Steve screamed into his neck. He tightened his own arms in response and brought one hand up to cradle the back of the blonde head.</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay” he murmured shakily – trying to sound reassuring when he was privately terrified – “I’ve got you. You’re safe kid; I won’t let it hurt you.”</p><p>Another flash of lightning and thunder, another scream in his ear – Tony flinched at the both the volume and crack in the middle of it as its owner choked on a sob halfway through.</p><p>Desperate to calm him, Tony started to rock them both from side to side, humming quietly to the tune of some long-forgotten lullaby that his mother had sung to him as a child. Miraculously, he felt the rock-hard shaking muscles underneath his touch start to loosen ever-so-slightly.</p><p>Encouraged, he started to softly sing, and by the time the storm eased off about fifteen minutes later, Steve was sleeping soundly in Tony’s arms – dried tear tracks shining on his flushed cheeks.</p><p>Sighing in relief when he noticed this, Tony smiled sadly and pressed a feather-light kiss to the younger man’s hair.</p><p>“Told you I’d keep you safe” he whispered, as he continued to hum softly – he didn’t want to risk waking Steve now. Running his fingers through the sweat-soaked hair under his cheek, he adjusted his hold and chuckled softly at the sound of exhausted snores coming from his chest.</p><p>“Rest kid, I’ve got you” Tony murmured quietly, “Pa’s got you now.”</p><p>*****<br/>
It felt like days later (but really was just a few hours) that the storm moved on and Steve’s fever finally broke, allowing them both to get some sorely needed rest. Deciding against returning to his own room, Tony laid down beside Steve on the bed (on top of the covers, of course), and was asleep almost immediately.</p><p>As such, it was the feeling of being warm, safe and protected that greeted a groggy Steve when he next opened his eyes. Everything outside was dark, his mouth and tongue felt like sandpaper, his eyes were sticky, and he was sure he smelt something awful. But he noticed the soft beat under his ear and the loose arms wrapped around his chest and he looked up slowly, smiling when he saw Tony fast asleep beside him.</p><p>He had no memory of what passed during the storm (or that there even WAS a storm), but he was sure Tony was there the whole time, keeping him safe. </p><p>So, he smiled and snuggled deeper into the older man’s chest, returning the hug with only the slightest hesitation.</p><p>“Thanks, Tony” he whispered, throat too raw to speak any louder than that, as his eyes closed and he returned to sleep once more.</p><p>And Tony – who had secretly woken when he felt Steve shift in his arms – smiled too.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Trapped</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A mission gone wrong leaves Steve injured and trapped under the remnants of a fallen building. With a storm closing in, Tony knows it’s a race against time – and Cap’s rising panic – to get him free.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“-ap? Cap! Hey, Steve! Come on, answer us you great lumbering idiot!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The first part of that statement was cut off, but it made no difference to the lone figure lying in the darkness, groaning as they regained consciousness with all the speed of a geriatric snail. Very quickly, they realised that movement in almost any direction of any of his limbs was practically impossible - something incredibly heavy and full of sharp edges was pressing down on his legs and his right arm was stuck in an equally tight space. Something wet puddled around his arm and hips, something hard grating together in both his lower legs.</p><p> </p><p>And everything <em>hurt</em>.....</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Steve! I swear to God, if you don’t answer us in the next five seconds I’m coming to find you and personally kick your ass so black and blue you-”<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“‘M here” Steve groaned, forcing his eyes open - and quickly regretting it when it made more pain spike through his already throbbing head. “No need t’ shout.”<br/><br/></p><p><em>“Steve, oh thank fuck!”</em> That was the staticky voice of Clint, followed closely by a grunt as the archer sent another arrow flying off air. <em>“You’ve been silent for nearly five minutes - ever since the building went down. Where are you? Could use your help out here.”</em></p><p> </p><p>For the first time since he opened his eyes, Steve took a proper look at his surroundings. It was difficult, given that it was almost pitch black, but he could see the faint outline of his lower body lying trapped under what appeared to be (easily) a tonne of rubble, concrete, and metal. His shield lay abandoned just out of reach of his left arm - the only limb that wasn’t trapped, it seemed. His uniform was torn in multiple places, and in the dim light he could see the shine of blood sluggishly leaking out of multiple lacerations on his torso.</p><p> </p><p>Glancing to his right, he nearly cried out in horror at the sight of his right arm - bent unnaturally at an almost ninety degree angle, his wrist was currently being crushed by the corner of a very heavy piece of concrete, and he could feel the blood pooling under his glove. He didn’t need the to hear or feel the grating of bones or the sudden, excruciating increase in pain to tell him that it was a compound fracture.</p><p> </p><p>The nausea flared in his gut, and Steve took quick, panicked breaths in an attempt to stall the inevitable evacuation of his stomach contents. A hoarse whimper of pain managed to escape his tightly clenched jaw, and within seconds the entire team was in his ear.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Cap, what’s wrong? Did you get hit?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Son of a bitch, if that dick did anything-”<br/></em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>“I insist, Captain, that you tell us if you are ailed in this battle, and we shall come to your aid.”</em> <em><br/></em></p><p> </p><p>The multiple voices all trying to talk at once just made his head hurt more, and he groaned loudly, resisting the urge to close his eyes and snap at them.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Start simple, Capsicle”</em> that was Tony, and Steve almost wanted to cry at the nickname. <em>“Where are you?”</em></p><p> </p><p>“Uh....so you mentioned that building that collapsed?”</p><p> </p><p>The team all acknowledged that yes, they knew which building he was talking about.</p><p> </p><p>“Umm, I’m guessing somewhere underneath that.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence, then three different voices swore enthusiastically in his ear.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Fuck!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Jesus, Steve - are you hurt?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Steve let another groan answer that for him.</p><p> </p><p>He was so tired too, but a more aware part of his brain told him that he <em>really</em> shouldn’t sleep right now. But surely if he just rested his eyes for a moment then the serum could start to heal him and he wouldn’t be in as much pain, right?</p><p> </p><p>It was just as he was about to call out to the others again when he heard it, what sounded suspiciously like the rumble of an approaching truck. A deep, earthly grumble within the ground, fading almost as soon as it had come. It was too far away to distinguish it clearly from the sounds of the battle around him, so that was all Steve put it down to at first.</p><p> </p><p>The second rumble came only a minute or so later, and this time he didn’t need to strain his ears; the almost guttural noise was too unmistakable.</p><p> </p><p>“Is- was that-?” Steve wasn’t ashamed to admit that his own panic tightened his throat to the point where it was impossible to squeeze any further speech out. It couldn’t have been though; the sky had been a beautiful blue and clear of any clouds when the fight had started, no way a storm could’ve formed that quickly.</p><p> </p><p>Another rumble came milliseconds later and he flinched - hard enough to cry out in both fear and rising pain as agony ripped through his lower half.</p><p> </p><p>“T-Tony, please tell me that’s Clint’s stomach I can hear” he pleaded weakly when the pain subsided to a sharp throbbing instead. </p><p> </p><p>A flicker of light outside and a rumble even closer than he’d ever wanted to hear answered his question for him, and he screamed as something shifted the rubble over his hips - a particularly sharp edge digging into his abdomen as he cried out “Tony!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I’m here Steve, I’m right here buddy. What’s going-”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Tony’s voice was cut off by another rumble, the rubble and debris around Steve vibrating with the noise.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“</em>
  <em>SHIT! </em>
  <em>JARVIS, initiate light show protocol, now!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Silence filled Steve’s ear, and he felt his panic increase further – he didn’t want to be alone.</p><p> </p><p>“Tony?” he whispered hoarsely, coughing as more dust tried to go down his throat. “Tony! Are you there?”</p><p> </p><p><em>“Easy, buddy”</em> Tony’s reassuring murmur filled his ear once again, but the sound was clearer this time – the sounds of the battle much more muffled. <em>“I had JARVIS open a closed channel for you and me to talk on; the others can’t hear us right now. Now, I’m working on getting you out, but you need to stay calm for me, okay?”</em></p><p> </p><p>The rubble above him shifted again and a thick cry slipped past his clenched jaw, the movement causing the pain in his back and hips to spike.</p><p> </p><p>“Hu-hurry, pl-ple-ease” he couldn’t help but hate the stuttering sound that came out of him, but he really couldn’t care less at that point. He was injured, trapped and damn it, he was scared. His breath started to catch in his chest as he tried to swallow past the lump growing in his desert-dry throat.</p><p> </p><p><em>“I’m working as fast as I can, Cap”</em> came Tony’s reply, followed by a grunt as the suit apparently shifted more of the rubble away. <em>“How about you tell me a story instead? I’m sure you’ve got some doozies hidden away in that dusty old head of yours.”</em></p><p> </p><p>Steve couldn’t help but level a weak glare upwards in the direction he assumed Tony’s voice was coming from. “Seriously?”</p><p> </p><p>Now Tony was chuckling – <em>“No, but you really should some day; Wilson tells me you’ve got some good ones. Like that one in the middle-of-nowhere-Italy when you and- “</em></p><p> </p><p>But the inventor was cut off by the sound of the previously distant thunder rolling ever closer, and Steve couldn’t help but let a hoarse whimper interrupt his friend. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through the rising panic but another crash of thunder forced his eyes open with a yelp.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Shit, Cap – you still with me?”</em> Tony sounded worried now, and he could almost picture the man biting his lip as he waited for a reply.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah…. yeah still here” the super soldier forced out, muffling his next cry into his unpinned wrist as he bit down on his glove in an attempt to ride out the pain that was now washing over his body in tsunami sized waves. “Just…. hurry.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Doin’ my best, bud – but you’re a lot more stuck than you might think.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Steve sighed, and couldn’t help but wince and hiss as the movement grated on his chest – yep, definitely broken a few ribs. When he heard Tony’s voice asking him again if he was alright, he just replied “Hurts.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Right, right, of course – you’ve got tonnes of concrete and collapsed building on top of you, silly me. Uh, JARVIS; injury report</em>?”</p><p> </p><p><em>“Captain Rogers appears to have sustained a mild concussion, sir. In addition, he has fractures to both of his legs, his right arm, three ribs, and an unstable pelvis fracture. He is losing blood internally into his abdomen, I estimate hypovolaemic shock to set in if he does not receive medical attention in the next ten minutes. Also, his heart rate and respiration rate are both elevated, suggesting an overload of the fight-or-flight response.</em> <em>”</em></p><p> </p><p>Tony made no effort to muffle his string of curses. Instead, he started sizing up the rubble and rebar that currently was holding his friend hostage and trying to figure out the easiest way to move the remaining heavy burden. The words ‘hypovolaemic shock’ and the ever approaching rumbles of thunder were (un)helpful reminders of just how quickly he needed to work. On top of that, he needed to get Steve free and back to the Tower before the storm truly set in and the ensuing panic aggravated his injuries further.</p><p> </p><p>Back under the rubble, Steve was trying hard to focus on his breathing. His eyes were closed and he was forcing his lungs to expand as he took deliberately slow and deep breaths. If they were shaky enough to make his whole upper body tremble, no one needed to know that but him.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t even try to hide it when the lump in his throat pushed the first tears out of his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Tony” he croaked, starting painfully as another growl of thunder sounded nearby. “‘M scared. You gotta get me outta here, please.”</p><p> </p><p><em>“Cap, listen to me”</em> Tony’s voice sounded desperate now, swearing colourfully as he shifted another piece of concrete. <em>“I’m gonna get you outta here, I promise. You’re not getting left behind. I’m here, you can talk to me. Just try not to move, and just breathe, okay? I’m working as fast as I can.”</em></p><p> </p><p>The repetitive mantra should have been soothing, and it was......for the first minute or so.</p><p> </p><p>But neither of them could deny that the storm was getting closer and that Steve’s featherlight hold on consciousness was fading fast.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Steve?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Still here, Tony.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Good. Because I think I’m almost through - can you hear the suit?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Steve was about to answer when a sudden crack of thunder rang out, it sounded like the storm was right on top of them now, and he screamed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Shit, shit. Steve! Cap, listen! It’s okay, I’m almost through. Just breathe for me, okay buddy? Just breathe.....fuck, I’ve almost got it-”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>If it weren’t for the difference in the light fighting past his squeezed shut eyelids, he wouldn’t have guessed that Tony had reached him. The hum of the arc reactor was almost inaudible against the passing storm, but somehow Steve’s ears still picked it up, and he felt his whole body relax in relief.</p><p> </p><p>He felt more relieved when the pressure over his arm, hips and legs was finally released and he felt a warm hand on the side of his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Steve? Hey Cap, wanna open those baby blues for us?”</p><p> </p><p>Only too happy to oblige, Steve couldn’t even feel embarrassed at the single tear that slipped past his lashes and down into his hair. He meant to say something along the lines of “finally, were you napping or something?” but all that came out of his dry lips was a pitiful whimper of pain.</p><p> </p><p>Tony apparently read his mind, for not two seconds later the strong arms of the Iron Man suit were scooping his broken form up off the ground and holding him against its solid chest.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, I gotcha buddy” Tony whispered in reassurance, adjusting his hold as he felt Steve start to go limp. “I gotcha.”</p><p> </p><p>Within moments, they were being swamped by medics and Tony was riding in the back of a SHIELD ambulance headed back to the Tower.</p><p> </p><p>He kept hold of Steve’s hand the whole time.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Argument</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It’s not unusual for an argument between Tony and Steve to turn heated, but this time things spiral out of control.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>More whump in this one, just cause I'm evil like that XD back to just angst and comfort next chap, though! Also, this takes place in the same week as the previous chapter (doesn't really mean much, just might put a few lines in some better context).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The request itself had been unusual enough - Tony almost never invited anyone down to his lab, except for Bruce. But given that the other scientist was currently in California speaking at a USC conference, it was odd that Stark would ask anyone into his lab, let alone for that someone to be Steve.</p><p> </p><p>So, it was with no small amount of apprehension mixed with the inevitable curiousity that gurgled in the super soldier's gut as he raised a fist to knock on the doors of the lab, wondering exactly what it was that Tony wanted with him - especially so late in the afternoon. At first, he thought it might have something to do with the battle earlier that week - which had resulted in some pretty serious injuries on his part, he'd only been cleared completely by Medical the day before - but that seemed unlikely; they'd had their customary debrief as soon as Steve had been able to remain conscious and cognisant enough to hold a conversation for longer than five minutes.</p><p> </p><p>Not that, then. He supposed he'd just have to go down and find out exactly what Tony wanted; speculation was getting him nowhere.</p><p> </p><p>When JARVIS granted him entry into the lab, he expected the billionaire to be working on another suit - he was always trying to come up with improvements - or lounging around by the coffee maker on one of his many caffeine breaks, maybe with some obscenely loud rock music by some artist Steve <em>still</em> hadn't listened to blaring over the speakers to the point of where he was sure he'd be deaf by the time he walked out again. He'd look up and grin maniacally when he saw him and bound over with over-caffeinated enthusiasm and start rambling about mechanics and physics and Steve would be pleasantly confused but enjoying the other man's company all the same - they were friends, after all. </p><p> </p><p>What he didn't expect to see was Tony standing silently, so stiff he was almost a statue, with expressionless eyes fixed on the monitor in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>"How long have you had this?" His voice was quiet, but there was a tremble of anger - no, outright <em>fury</em> - bubbling under the surface of his tone.</p><p> </p><p>Steve frowned, "How long have I had what, Tony?" he asked slowly, not quite sure exactly what the other man was referring to.</p><p> </p><p>Instead of answering him, Stark flipped the screen around so that the image on the screen could be clearly identified.</p><p> </p><p>Hesitating for only the briefest of seconds, Steve walked haltingly over to the other side of the desk, feeling Tony's eyes on him the whole way. When he saw the familiar - but not familiar - face pointing a pistol towards the camera, Steve's heart plummeted into his shoes and he literally felt the blood rush away from his face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh. Shit.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>His thoughts must have shown in his expression, as Tony's eyes darkened before he turned away abruptly and stalked over towards the couch. </p><p> </p><p>"Tony, I-" Steve began, but he was interrupted by a strangled huff as the other man froze in his tracks. His heart clenched as his friend looked up at him with any number of emotions flickering through tortured eyes. Anger, resentment, betrayal, hurt, <em>guilt</em>; every single recognised emotion made the vice around the soldier's chest all the tighter.</p><p> </p><p>"How long have you known?" Now there was something animalistic in the deep, throaty growl; frankly, it terrified him as much as it worried him as well.</p><p> </p><p>Swallowing hard, Steve took a steadying breath before answering "Since DC."</p><p> </p><p>The effect on Tony's expression was almost instantaneous - his eyes darkened so much that they nearly resembled blackened ash, and his jaw clenched so hard Steve swore he heard it crack in the room that was otherwise so silent that you could hear a hair drop onto the polished linoleum floor.</p><p> </p><p>"Tony-" Steve tried again to explain, but was interrupted before he could get beyond the billionaire's name.</p><p> </p><p>"Six months." Tony's voice was sharp and almost monotone, no trace at all of its usual warmth. "Six months you knew about this and you've kept it secret all this time? For what?"</p><p> </p><p>Steve couldn't meet Tony's eyes at that - to be honest, he didn't even know why he'd done it really, but he didn't know how to explain his reasons in a way that would make his friend understand.</p><p> </p><p>A loud scoff echoed through the lab at his silence, the scientist turning away and clenching his fists. The sight made the soldier's heart clench, a part of him wanting to reach out for his hurting friend and try - once again - to explain.</p><p> </p><p>Taking a few quiet steps forward, he took a deep breath as he reached out towards the minutely trembling shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>"Tony, listen-"</p><p> </p><p>If he was perfectly honest, he should've expected the punch - even anticipated it. But the sting on his cheekbone and the hard <em>thwap</em> against his skin still managed to take the younger man by surprise. Reeling backwards - both literally and figuratively - Steve looked up at the billionaire in shock, and - if he was honest - quite a bit of hurt. As heated as their arguments had been in the past, they had <em>never</em> come to blows.</p><p> </p><p>"Get the fuck out of my lab" Stark growled, low and menacing - eyes that normally flickered like the warmth of a winter's fire now blazing with black anger. "Get. Out. I can't even stand to look at you right now."</p><p> </p><p>Pushing past the threat of emotion, Steve straightened up and squared his shoulders. Jaw set - actually, it was clenched (but only he needed to know that) - and ignoring the painful throbbing in his cheek, he nodded minutely and turned on his heel.</p><p> </p><p>He just hoped that Tony hadn't seen the single tear that clung to his lashes as he strode stiffly out of the hauntingly silent lab.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Steve didn't really have any idea where he was walking, he just knew he should probably get away from the lab - and the angry, upset scientist inside it. At some point, his walk got quicker and eventually turned into a run, and then he was sprinting outside and into the acres of woods that surrounded the Compound. His breath coming in short, sharp pants; eyes glistening with guilt and threatening to spill over. He immediately berated himself for that as soon as he realised it - he was Captain America, he had no right to get upset about a little argument.</p><p> </p><p>Except, this wasn't just a <em>little</em> argument, was it. He'd seen the anger and betrayal in Tony's eyes, and it was made even worse knowing that it was his fault it was there.</p><p> </p><p>Growling, he pushed his legs harder - his feet pounding the grass and occasionally snapping twigs as he ran through the forest, all his energy focused on running. Huh, some soldier he was - soldiers didn't run away from their problems. They stood tall, proud, and faced them head on. No emotion, no tears, just a clear head and an attitude of getting the job done. Soldiers were strong, and Captain America was the strongest of all.</p><p> </p><p>Just another way he'd failed, then.</p><p> </p><p>He was so focused on his guilt that he didn't realise he was falling until he heard another <em>SNAP</em> and felt himself tumbling down a hill and into a hole, coming to rest against the side of an ancient tree. Shocked for only a few seconds, the pain quickly began to set in - worsening when he glanced down at himself to inspect the damage and saw the blood on his jean leg. Pulling the fabric up his calf confirmed his suspicions - and made the nausea rumble in his gut with more ferocity than he'd ever felt.</p><p> </p><p>Two compound fractures in the space of a week? Tony really was going to kill him.</p><p> </p><p>Pushing himself properly onto his back with a groan, Steve opened his eyes and stared up at the treetops with miserable blue eyes glistening once more.</p><p> </p><p>He knew hiding the information about Howard and Maria's deaths was going to hurt his friend, but maybe that's why he <em>didn't</em> tell him? Howard especially was always a tricky subject to bring up with the billionaire (and Steve had his own suspicions about why that was) and he knew that the death of his parents had hit a young Tony hard, so perhaps he'd figured that divulging the new information after all this time would only serve to reopen old wounds and make Tony spiral back into the depressed mess that Rhodey and Pepper (and even Tony himself) had told him about.</p><p> </p><p>Or was he sparing himself the hurt of potentially losing another friend? Or was he trying to protect one friend without realising it was at the cost of another?</p><p> </p><p>He knew Bucky hadn't been in control of his own actions that day he'd killed the Starks, but he doubted that Tony would be willing to see that right now. Maybe that's why he'd kept it secret these past few months since he'd found the footage in that underground bunker in DC. </p><p> </p><p>It didn’t matter now, he felt like he'd lost his friend anyway, and all because he'd been too afraid to approach him like an adult and sort this out. Instead, he'd let Tony find the footage himself, and immediately assume the worst of him for keeping it secret.</p><p> </p><p>The memory of the betrayal and hurt in the billionaire's eyes forced a broken sob out of Steve's throat - whichever way he looked at the situation, it was all his fault.</p><p> </p><p>More sobs slipped out once that first one pushed past his clenched teeth, and within seconds his guilt was pouring out of his eyes in the form of salty tears. Messy blonde locks were hanging back, the dirt of the forest floor damp against his neck as a chilled breeze blew through the hole he was in. Birds called out to each other in the treetops around him as twilight began to set in, his enhanced hearing picking up a pack of foxes shrieking with joy somewhere deeper in the forest. It was almost peaceful, such a contrast to the turmoil inside his head and in his heart.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry" he mouthed silently, closing his eyes as a further cascade of tears fell unrestricted from beneath his lashes.</p><p> </p><p>His tears continued to rush down his cheeks, and he was almost past caring whether anyone heard his crying now; God knows everyone already thought he was-</p><p> </p><p>But his own thoughts were interrupted by a not-so-distant rumble that made his very blood run cold in a way it hadn't since he'd crashed the plane into the ice some seventy odd years ago.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No.....please God, no......not now......</em>
</p><p> </p><p>But the flicker of light casting ominous shadows among the trees and the second (suddenly <em>very close</em>) growl from the sky was unmistakable. Gasping for air for another reason now, Steve could feel his heartrate quicken in his chest, his limbs were starting to tremble, and he could almost feel his pupils dilating - even if it felt like his vision was narrowing. Another grumble from above, and then a loud <em>CRACK!</em> made his whole body jump and he couldn't help the frightened yelp that escaped his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>He had to <em>move</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Scrambling to his hands and knees, fingers slipping in the dewy leaf litter, he started to crawl towards the shelter of a large tree. Another crack of thunder split the silence around him, and he pushed his limbs faster - ignoring the shearing agony in his right ankle and the swimming of his vision. The sound of heavy rain starting to hit the leaves way above his head startled him more than it should have, or maybe that was because his hands chose that moment to attempt to find purchase in a patch of slippery leaves. His left hand flew out from under him and his upper body pitched forward. It happened so fast that he was barely able to catch himself before his face could make an unpleasant acquaintance with a large fern, but it sent shockwaves firing up his injured leg so intense he nearly passed out.</p><p> </p><p>Lightning hit a branch somewhere nearby, the ear-splitting <em>CRACK!</em> followed by the rustle of leaves and the loud thump as the thick limb hit the forest floor - the crash almost drowning out the noise of the storm. Throwing his arms over his head to protect himself, Steve rolled onto his stomach away from the noise and screamed into the dirt as another bolt of lightning landed what felt like mere feet away.</p><p> </p><p>Then came another noise, this one faint but so blessedly familiar it almost made him cry out with relief.</p><p> </p><p>"STEVE!"</p><p> </p><p>He heard the thrusters of the Iron Man suit land somewhere nearby, followed by heavy footsteps and the quiet clanging of metal as the suit ran towards his prone form. Hastily rolling him over, the faceplate of the suit snapped up revealing Tony's worried and relieved gaze, attempting a half-smile but biting his lip instead when he saw the mess of emotions on the younger man's features.</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, Tony let the rest of the suit retract and immediately pulled his sopping wet friend into his arms, cradling the back of his head. "Hey, it's okay kid. I've got you, buddy. You're safe now" the words were gentle, whispered right next to Steve's ear so he could hear it above the noise of the storm and of his own pounding heart. </p><p> </p><p>"Tony, I'm- I'm sorry" he cried, burrowing his wet face into the older man's shoulder, his own beginning to shake more forcefully as more tears threatened to slip past. "I shouldn't have hidden that from you, and you hate me now and I totally get it but I'm really sorry-" his rambling apologies were cut off by his own hitching breaths as more tears spilled over his lashes.</p><p> </p><p>Tony shook his head firmly, pulling his shoulder away and holding Steve's jaw loosely in his fingers. "Kid, it was Hydra - I know that now. JARVIS found the rest of the files - turns out, he's pretty darn protective of you, did you know that?"</p><p> </p><p>Steve didn't know that, but the sentiment brought out a wet huff of laughter. Tony's shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit at that as he let the kid's head come back to rest on his shoulder again.</p><p> </p><p>"Anyway, he wouldn't let me leave until I'd read them - I'm glad he did, honestly. I should've listened to you; you were trying to tell me but I just didn't want to hear it. If anything, I'm sorry for not even trying to listen to you - I was a dick back there."</p><p> </p><p>Blinking furiously as the rain and tears fell together down his cheeks, the soldier couldn't help but sniffle and attempt to swallow against the emotion bubbling in the back of his throat - even as he felt the corners of his lips quirk ever-so-slightly upwards at Tony's own self-deprecation. "No change from normal, then" he croaked, voice still thick and cheeks still marred with tears.</p><p> </p><p>Tony flicked him playfully on the ear for that. "Insolent child" he muttered, but his voice was fond and he adjusted his hold to allow Steve's head to rest more comfortably in the crook of his neck. </p><p> </p><p>The storm was passing now, gone almost as quickly as it had come. The rain was easing up and it was almost impossible to hear the thunder anymore, and yet they stayed together on the forest floor - the soldier wrapped protectively in the arms of the billionaire, with the Iron Man suit standing watch close by like a metal guardian angel.</p><p> </p><p>Sniffling quietly, Steve shifted his head slightly so that his slowly freezing nose could take full advantage of the warmth of Tony's neck, one or two tears still silently making their way down his cheeks. They were both quiet until Tony made to stand and accidentally jostled the other man’s broken ankle.</p><p> </p><p>Yelping like a dog whose tail had been stood on, Steve’s cry of pain was choked off by a thick gag as the sudden spike in nausea threatened immediate evacuation of the contents of his stomach via his oesophagus. Tony swore and jumped backwards, kneeling next to him again once his nausea appeared to settle, a hesitant hand reaching out towards his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>”Woah, steady kid - what’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>Taking quick, panicked breaths in an attempt to calm his rapidly somersaulting stomach, Steve sheepishly met the billionaire’s gaze with a flush colouring the tips of his ears. “Ankle. Hurts” he ground out through clenched teeth - God, the pain was <em>excruciating</em>!</p><p> </p><p>Frowning, Tony glanced down and finally noticed the blood on the soldier’s jeans. “What have you done to yourself this time?” He wondered out loud, gently lifting the denim away enough to inspect the injury. </p><p> </p><p>The blood was in the process of drying, staining the blue fabric around it purple. A pointy, sharp end of tibia stuck out of the wound just above the ankle joint, quivering slightly as its owner tried to stifle their own shivers.</p><p> </p><p>Fighting a quickly losing battle with his own nausea, Tony swallowed hard and raised an arm towards the suit, calling it back to him and assembling it around his body. "JARIVS, what am I looking at?" he asked, ignoring the croaking quality of his voice.</p><p> </p><p><em>"It appears that it is a compound fracture of the right lower tibia, sir</em>" JARVIS replied smoothly, pausing for a moment before adding slowly "<em>I would recommend setting the bone now, else Captain Rogers' healing factor may repair the bone to an extent where it will need to be re-broken in order to set it properly.</em>"</p><p> </p><p>Tony was glad that the faceplate hid his gag. Taking deep breaths, he glanced over at Steve - as if asking for permission to cause him a shit-ton more pain.</p><p> </p><p>A wry, tremulous smile and a tiny nod was his reply, before the soldier turned his head away and closed his eyes - as if already preparing himself for the agony to come. Without wasting a second, Tony held Steve's lower leg and heel in his hands, one either side of the fracture, took a deep breath and pulled.</p><p> </p><p>He was glad he'd closed his eyes, but it didn't block out the heart-wrenching sound of the soldier's scream.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry" he murmured through gritted teeth - struggling to hold his stomach contents in place. "Sorry buddy, it's all done now, all done."</p><p> </p><p>God, he hoped that the lack of reply meant that someone'd had mercy on Steve and let him pass out.</p><p> </p><p>Once the bone had slid back under the skin, Tony exited the suit (while it maintained traction on the ends of the bone) and took off his outer shirt and coat. Glancing around at the forest floor, he spied a long, thick stick nearby. Grabbing it, he applied the stick to the side of his friend's leg, telling JARVIS to slowly ease the bone ends together and then using his clothing to tie the stick in place. Leaning back on his haunches, Tony wiped the last of the rainwater out of his eyes and his gaze flickered down to Steve's face.</p><p> </p><p>His friend was pale - almost ghostly, in fact - and panting hard through clenched teeth as moisture dripped in torrents down dirty cheeks. Tony reached over and brushed some of the sopping blonde hair out of the younger man's eyes, prompting the bloodshot blue irises to open and regard him hazily. Offering up a half-smile, Tony's hand moved down to Steve's shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>"Easy kiddo" he soothed gently, "get your breath back. Take your time."</p><p> </p><p>Damp eyes turned slightly incredulous as a single eyebrow raised at the nickname. "You know I am technically older than you, Tony?" Steve croaked, a slight smirk now colouring his own features - even as he panted heavily through the last dregs of pain.</p><p> </p><p>Tony just chuckled. "Details, schmeetails. Your physical age is what? 20? 21?"</p><p> </p><p>"Something like that."</p><p> </p><p>"My point exactly" he continued, waving the suit away and back into sentry mode. "Point is, you're younger than me right now, and that gives me instantaneous right to call you any nickname I wish - 70 years frozen deep in the Arctic mean jack shit, until you start looking your age that is."</p><p> </p><p>Steve laughed - it may have sounded a little strangled still, but Tony was happy enough with the noise to ignore that for the moment - and met Tony's eyes with a grateful smile.</p><p> </p><p>Before the younger man could open his mouth, however, Tony stood with a pat to his shoulder and went back to the suit. As soon as he was back inside the armour, he walked back over and scooped his friend up into his arms. Foot thrusters powering on almost immediately, he began to fly them back towards the Compound - and hopefully a warm shower and some of Clint's hot chilli and the latest in their marathon of terrible parody movies queued up on the common floor TV.</p><p> </p><p>But first, medical.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>Hours later, with his lower leg cleaned and splinted properly - and with the assurance that it would be fully healed in a few days - Steve lay on the couch in the common room, empty bowl of chilli on the table beside him, the end credits of <em>Scary</em><em> Movie</em> playing on the screen, and his friends all spread out in chairs and beanbags around the sofa he was currently stretched out on. Snuggled into a warm hoodie and track pants, he felt amazingly warm and incredibly comfortable. So comfortable, that he was almost asleep when he felt his head being lifted and something nearby sliding underneath it.</p><p> </p><p>"Nrgh" he grumbled, raising a heavy hand and attempting to bat away the disturbance. He stopped when he made contact with something that made a hard <em>clink</em> noise against his fingers.</p><p> </p><p>Peeking one eye open, he squinted up at the blurry figure with a glowing blue orb in its chest. Quickly recognising the figure as Tony, Steve let his hand fall back into his lap - even as he pouted at being disturbed.</p><p> </p><p>A deep chuckle vibrated the torso next to him, and he felt himself being adjusted so that he could lie more comfortably. Resigning himself to the movement, Steve closed his eyes with a sigh - surprised when he felt a warm hand begin to rub along his arm.</p><p> </p><p>"Go back to sleep, kiddo" Tony murmured softly, eyes not leaving the screen as his other hand took a swig of his beer.</p><p> </p><p>"Hmph" Steve muttered, before opening one eye again and shooting the billionaire a cheeky look. "Still older than you."</p><p> </p><p>Tony just flicked his ear again, gently this time, and Steve smiled as he let himself fall back asleep.</p><p> </p><p>***</p>
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